BJP using chopper deal to divert attention: Congress leader

Kolkata, April 28 (IANS) Dismissing the bribery charge in the VVIP chopper deal, Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday accused the BJP-led central government of using the issue to divert public attention from its failures in the last two years.

Pilot also alleged there was a tacit understanding between the Bharatiya Janata Party and West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress.

“These are absolute baseless allegations made with the motive of diverting public attention. In the two years it has been in power at the Centre, the BJP has miserably failed on all accounts,” he told the media here.

“There is no job creation; they gave over a dozen slogans like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ etc. but nothing has materialised (on ground). They have now raised this issue intentionally,” Pilot said.

He said that the then Congress government at the Centre had cancelled the AgustaWestland chopper deal, ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation and blacklisted the company.

Pilot also said that the BJP and the Trinamool had reached a tacit understanding.

“All the war of words that you see between them is nothing but shadow-boxing. The BJP is spending money and making efforts to help the Trinamool, which is striving to establish dictatorship in the state.”

“There is some compulsion involved on account of the Saradha scam, in which several TMC leaders have already been to jail and some more may go. This understanding is not just evident in Bengal but in parliament as well,” said Pilot.

He said the Congress-Left Front combine will come to power in the state.